


The Song of Your Heart

by CronutsAmpora



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Everybody has kids, F/M, Gender Dysphoria, If you think this is confusing, Just you wait - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Trans Male Character, Young Mother Shelter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-08-30 09:42:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8528248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CronutsAmpora/pseuds/CronutsAmpora
Summary: Cronus Ampora is at the end of his rope when he finally reaches one of the last possible places he wants to be on Earth. However desperate times call for desperate measures and maybe the stunning girl who answers the door will like him when he tells her that he's actually not a girl.





	1. Chapter 1

You adjust your sweatshirt so it's helping shield the small bundle in your arms. Eridan whimpers a bit, but is instantly calmed when you lean down to press the softest of kisses to his mess of golden locks. You both were exhausted, wet, and hungry, the long journey that you had gone through having taken quite a toll out on you. 

You stop to lean against a wall, the backpack hanging from your shoulders stuffed to bursting and was just exceedingly heavy after being carried for hours. You were barely taller than five feet and your shoulders were not very broad, so it seemed to drag you down even more. The endless rain isn’t helping either, thank god Eridan is wrapped up in your makeshift rain poncho. 

You looked up at the building in front of you and felt your heart sink a bit. Of all things, this was one thing that you wanted to avoid, but, at this point, it seemed like your only hope. Slowly, you straightened up and a little hand grabbed at your face as a tiny voice sleepily asks, "Mama?" 

You freeze instantly and a hard knot seems to form in your stomach. You take the little hand and press soft kisses to it and before gently correcting the toddler as you head towards the building, "No, it's bro, Eri, remember? I'm not mama..."

You had barely knocked on the door before it’s opened and you’re just standing there looking like an idiot for a few minutes because she’s gorgeous. Her pale blonde hair is a giant tousled mess, her perfect plump lips are covered in smeared remains of lipstick, and her eyeliner is all fucked up, but you can’t help but think that she’s perfect. 

You come to yourself when she takes you by the arm and drags you inside, “Oh my god, you’re soaked.”

You thank her gently when she lets go of you and you stand there a little awkwardly, your hair dripping in your face and off your clothes as you attempt to sway and soothe the uncomfortable child under your wet sweatshirt. You takes a moment, then ask quietly if you can set down your things and maybe change out of your wet clothes.

"M-my, um, my s-s... M-my son might catch a cold," you never really realized until this moment exactly how very uncomfortable you were referring to Eridan as that, but you’re going to have to get used to it if you’re going to end up staying here for a little while, "Is it possible if I could give him a warm bath? I-I wouldn't oppose to using a sink..."

Her eyes widened, quickly moving to take the toddler from you and hold him against her warm, dry body. You tense almost immediately and go to snatch him back, but he curls up comfortably against her, his tiny hand curling tightly into her shirt and before your brain could decide that it was ok, your body relaxed a bit and the angel looks up at you and says, "Follow me to the bathroom, you can both bathe there and I can give you both some clothes to wear. Unfortunately I can't give you a room without house mother's permission so you'll have to sleep in the living room tonight.”

You nod and follow her, slowly taking the bag off your back along the way, "Thank you so very much."

She strokes the boy’s mostly-dry hair and opens up the door to the bathroom, starting the bath after handing your child back to you, "So, what are your names?”

"This is Eridan," You say gently after you undress the toddler and set him in the warm bathwater. She coos at the sweet little thing and asks Eridan if he likes bubbles. His little face lights up and he splashes the water a little as she hushes him softly as she takes some of the bubble solution to put bubbles in the water for him, using her hand to mix it up while the toddler gets excited about them.

You then take off your sweatshirt and tank top, standing there for a minute in your beige sports bra and old blue jeans. You set the wet backpack in the sink so it won’t drip too much and make too big of a mess. You then push back your black hair from your face before hesitating. You can’t tell her that your name is Cronus. This is a good Christian place and you are certain to be kicked back out into the streets the second you spill that you aren’t normal. No, you are normal. You’re normal and you swore you would never use that name again. You promised Kankri that you would never ever stoop that low again and- and- 

Eridan is more important than yourself right now.

You look away from her before introducing yourself as Melody. You toe off your worn, holey sneakers and neatly put your even hole-ier socks inside of them before taking off your jeans and standing there in your boxers and shivering a bit.

“Mama! Bubba!” you snort at him and force yourself not to correct him.

"I've literally had to resort to calling him Eribubbles for most of his life, it was his first word,” you slip into the tub next to him, still in your boxers and bra, "So, anyways, what's your name? Because you definitely seem like an 'Angel' to me.”

She grinned and blushed, closing the toilet and looking away, more than likely because you’re too much. She then looks back at you and you are staring at her again because her eyes are a vibrant pink color and her smile is breathtaking, "My name is Roxy.”

This is the part where you want to say ‘oh fuck, I’m gay’, but you just flash her an award-winning smile, “That’s such a lovely name for a gorgeous girl.”

Roxy covers her mouth and she looks away again and you can see her ears turning red. She slowly stands up, “I should leave you two to finish up-”

“Actually, um… I hope you don’t mind, but I would like to know a little more about this place…”

She pauses for a moment, her hand resting on her stomach, then sits back down on the toilet, “What do you wanna know?”

You get situated and put Eridan in your lap before you gently start to clean him, "... Do you know if there actually are any rooms open here? Or should I just get walking again in the morning?"

“You’re actually pretty lucky, my roommate moved out earlier this week, so it looks like you might be spending more time with me, Melody.”

“Well, ain’t I a lucky one?” you wink at her, “So, how old are you, Roxy? I’m seventeen.”

She combs her fingers through the snarls in her hair carefully and you watch in rapt envy as the tangles come undone easily, “I just recently turned sixteen.”

"Are you already a mother? Or are you pregnant?" you ask, knowing that either way she answers, you won’t like it. You gently start washing Eridan's hair, keeping the soap out of his eyes. He fusses a bit because you won't let him move, but he instantly calms down when he gets a bubble crown.

Roxy shrugs and tells you casually that she’s ten weeks pregnant. Then she laughs a little, leaning back on the toilet seat, “It isn’t moving fast enough in my opinion.”

"Everyone says that, then, when it's time, you're going to be saying that things are going too fast,” you answer, scrubbing your own arms and body down as Eridan plays with the bubbles quietly.

Roxy smiled a bit, then offered a little boat toy to Eridan, "So, wanna tell me more about yourself?”

"... What do you want to know?" you ask, looking up at her after he takes the boat from her excitedly.

She shrugged, "Whatever you feel most comfortable with telling me, I guess.”

".... I like cats. And the little mermaid is our favorite movie," Eridan plays with the toy, squirming a bit so he can make it swim through bubbles.

Roxy smiled at that and readjusts to get comfortable, "Cats are pretty sweet man.”

You chuckle and tell her that you’ve always wanted a kitten, but got Eridan instead. You kiss Eridan's little head as the toddler mumbles at you, then goes back to playing. You then go to wash your own hair, adjusting so Eridan wouldn't tumble into the water like a sack of potatoes, softly informing him that bubbles aren't very good tasting as you watch him shove a whole handful into his mouth.

Roxy wiped off her hands on her pants and stood up slowly before sighing, "I'm gonna go set up the living room for us and go get you both clothes. Alright?"

"Thank you," he says, relaxing a bit, "that would be wonderful, Roxy."

She nodded, then went out into the living room while you finished washing up. When you finished, she knocked on the door gently, bringing two towel and some clothes into the bathroom.

You thank her and hand over Eridan for her to dry him off so you can get out and take off your wet clothing, covering yourself up with the other towel. She hands Eridan back to you when you’re decent, then leaves once again to give you privacy.

You spend a little while in the bathroom after Roxy leaves, trying on different clothes until you find a loose t-shirt and a part of pants that could fit over your ridiculously wide hips. You get Eridan dressed in something warm and let him doze against your chest as you carry your big bag of shit out to the living room. You set Eridan on the couch on one of the cozy blankets before turning his attention to Roxy, "Hey, thanks for everything, Roxy. You are fantastic."

“Are you going to be alright out here? I could go downstairs and get the air mattress-”

“It’s nearly four in the morning, you should go get some shut eye, hun. I’ll be alright.”

She stands there for a moment, clearly hesitating, then she nods, “Sleep well, Melody.”

You twitch, but force yourself to smile and wish her sweet dreams. Once you settle down for the night with Eridan, you manage to force the thoughts about how the fuck you’re going to manage this out of your head and you drift off to the best night sleep you’ve had in years.


	2. Chapter 2

You woke up a couple of hours later when you heard the housemother making breakfast. You stir a bit while Eridan slept quietly, one hand firmly curled in your shirt to anchor him to you and his thumb stuck inside his mouth. During the night, his hair had dried into the gorgeous pale-blond curly mess it really is, one single lock of strawberry blond in the front. You blink and look around a little, the best you can do when you’re still mostly asleep and Eridan is lounging on top of you. Who knew two-year-olds could take up so much space?

You slowly, carefully sit up, both hands going to keep Eridan against yourself so he wouldn’t wake up and cry, well, not that he would cry, the tiny thing never really seemed to really make any noise unless he wanted your attention.

Soon you’re standing and shuffle to the kitchen.

The woman in the kitchen was dressed in a pair of dark green capris and a black shirt, a black, sheer robe with faux green fur lining hanging off her shoulders in the most comfortable looking way as she swayed from one pan to the other. Her dark hair is pulled back into a handkerchief, loose curls streaming out by her ears, the back, and the top. You cradle Eridan close to yourself and clear your throat to get the woman’s attention.

She turns around and you notice the earbud in her ear and she pauses the music on her device before motioning you over. 

“Hello, my dear. I hope I didn’t wake you. I’m Rosa and I’m the owner of this place, what’s your name?”

This woman looks like she gives the best hugs. She looks like she is just everyone who walks through here’s mother. You don’t think you have ever been this comfortable with another person ever since Kankri…

You don’t want to think about it.

“I’m Melody, ma’am. This is Eridan, my two-year-old.”

“It’s very nice to meet you both. Well, it’s very nice to meet you while this precious thing sleeps. Let me guess, Roxy let you in last night.”

You go pink at that and admit to it, hoping that your new friend doesn’t get in trouble, but Rosa just tsks and goes back to making bacon and french toast, “That poor girl has a heart of gold and the wings of an angel. She can barely get a wink of sleep, the poor dear. Can’t sleep on her back because it hurts, can’t sleep on her stomach because her chest aches, and she can’t get comfortable on her sides because then she’s got cramping. If it’s not that, she’s puking her brains out. I pray to the good lord that she will be alright by the end of this wild roller coaster she’s been on.”

You feel bad for Roxy, you really do. You kind of wish you knew all that before you asked her to stay up with you last night, because you feel bad that you deprived her of time she could have spent getting some much-needed sleep.

Rosa then tells you that you can take your things into Roxy’s room, it’s the second on the left in the hall and there should be some extra bed covers in the closet of the room. You nod and carry Eridan to the room, pausing to grab your bag as well. You are so careful opening and closing the door, trying to be quiet, but, as soon as you set Eridan down on the bed, he whines.

That wakes Roxy up immediately. She sits up slowly and rubs at her eyes and you try to see if you can get her back to sleep, "Hello, Roxy... You look absolutely bushed. I didn’t mean to wake you up."

She continued to rub her eyes and you can’t help but think that she’s beautiful in the morning sun with her hair all mussed up from sleeping. She then gives you a tired smile and you think you suddenly found out that you might just be in love with her.

"You should catch some more z's, honey," you say gently, tucking Eridan in to the other bed, “Rosa told me that you don’t sleep well at night.”

“ ‘m fine… Really. ’m just-” she yawns and you can’t help but smile a little.

“You need your sleep. How about you catch just five more minutes, then I’ll stop bugging you about it, ok?” 

She sits there and considers it, but nods and rolls over, out like a light. You have no intention of waking her up in five minutes, so you just leave the room as soon as Eridan falls asleep. 

Rosa is still in the kitchen, humming to herself as her platters of food next to her get bigger, but now she is joined by a girl with a wild mane of hair. The girl gets herself a plate and fills it with food before she turns around to look at you. She raises an eyebrow, then sits down at the cozy little table.

“Are you new here?” she asks as she starts using her fork to cut everything up.

“Yeah, I just got in this-”

“Oh, gimme a second. This thing keeps cutting out. I think the battery is dying…” She pulls a hearing aide out of her ear and pulls the watch battery out of it before rummaging through the kitchen drawers. You watch her until she returns, settling the piece back in place.

“Sorry about that. I’m Meulin,” she smiles and gives you a little wave before going back to cutting up her food into tiny pieces.

“I’m Melody. I just got in this morning.”

“Oh, sweet. Got here just after the rainstorm, huh?”

“Nah, smack dab in the middle of it.”

“Lemme guess, Roxy let you in?” she grins a bit at that, “Rosa. I do believe that you owe me five dollars.”

“Stop placing me into bets that I didn’t participate in, Lin,” Rosa says as she starts on a pan of scrambled eggs.

Meulin laughs and combs some of her hair out of her face, “So, how are you? Do you have a little one of your own yet?”

You smile at her a bit, “I’m well, I slept on a soft couch after I took a warm bath. And I do happen to have a little one, his name is Eridan and he’s two years old.”

You try to ignore the weird feeling in your mouth when you say those words, but it remains there as you comb your hair out of your face so it looks presentable. Meulin nods a bit, then tells you that she has two little ones of her own, a darling little girl who is nearly four and a tiny, bouncing baby boy of six months. 

As she is talking to you, a tiny girl comes marching into the room, dressed in a rainbow cat-printed shirt and a pull up. Her hair is short and curly, but she looks just like a spitting image of her mother, especially with those bright green eyes. She goes over to Meulin and puts her hands on her lap, “The cuddly kitten says good morning to her pretty mommy.”

Meulin smiles at the girl and scoops her up, pressing a few kisses to her cheek, “The mommy says good morning, kitten. She also cut up your breakfast for you.”

The little girl smiled super wide and she bounced while Meulin kissed her head. She sets up her daughter to eat, then smiles at you, “This is Nepeta. Isn’t she just precious?”

“Absolutely. She’s got your eyes, oh my goodness, they are so green.”

Nepeta stops eating long enough to smile at that and say thank you. She is so nice and polite, you bet she and Eridan will be fast friends in no time.

Meulin gets a plate that is actually for herself and you decide to get some food for yourself as well. She chatters along to you, telling you about who else lives there. There’s a young widow named Latula with twins that are in their terrible twos, a jaded housewife named Jane with a young son and another bun in the oven, and a rather blunt woman named Damara with two kids and a third on the way who boldly states all the time that men are worthless.

“Don’t forget Meenah, dear,” Rosa says as she serves herself and sits down, the stove turned off behind her.

“Meenah hardly even lives here. She and Feferi are always gone and their half of the room is essentially just storage for their stuff,” she glances at you, then smiles before she elaborates that Meenah is her roommate who takes her three-year-old with her to work all the time. When you nod, she tells you that everyone is in single rooms, except for you and Roxy, and obviously her and Meenah.

You nod along and eat your breakfast, trying to keep this information in your head while wondering how she was able to talk this fast. After a bit, though, you hear a baby cry and Meulin startles when Nepeta grabs her arm.

“The kitten hears her kin crying for his mommy.”

“Thank you, kitten, I’ll get your brother,” she smiles at her daughter and wipes some egg off her cheek before going to fetch the baby.

You finish your plate and wash your dishes, telling Rosa that you can do them, it’s no problem when she tries to fuss about it. She huffs and you laugh, telling her that you need to unpack as you start heading to your room.

Eridan is sleeping soundly, curled up under the covers, and you relax. You two are safe for the time being. You did something good and your special little man is safe and sound and he’s warm and doesn’t need to go to sleep hungry because you weren’t able to get anything for him. 

You use the collar of your borrowed shirt to wipe the rouge tears from your eyes before you start unpacking the zip-locked bags of stuff from your backpack.


End file.
